Pandemic measures are fatal for premature babies

Pandemic measures are fatal for premature babies
Pandemic measures are fatal for premature babies
Anonim

The strict rules introduced in maternity wards to stop the spread of the coronavirus can have fatal consequences for premature babies, the World He alth Organization (WHO) has warned, according to BTA.

The WHO comments that the medical benefits of physical contact between parents and their premature babies far outweigh the risk of contracting the coronavirus. Many countries have banned these contacts because of the pandemic, which is to the detriment of babies. WHO recommends kangaroo care for premature and low-birth-weight infants, where the child is placed skin-to-skin on the mother's or father's chest for as many hours a day as possible. It is also recommended that premature babies be breastfed.

An international survey of nurses and doctors found that the pandemic has led to restrictions on contact between baby and parent. Two-thirds of the 1,120 survey participants said they would separate the mother from her child if they tested positive or their status was unclear.

However, according to WHO data, the risk of death due to contact restrictions is 65% higher than the risk of the baby contracting a fatal coronavirus infection through contact with the parents.

On this occasion, Dr. Boyana Petkova, who communicates daily with parents of premature children in the Family Center for Premature Children "Malki Chudesa" in Sofia, which she directs, gave her comment: "The problem with parents' access to the wards in neonatology in Bulgaria is deplorable.

I also notice gaps in the necessary consultation examinations while the baby is still in the neonatology department - for example, a missed consultation with a cardiologist in the case of repeated heart murmurs. Also tragic is the training of the parents in caring for the premature baby after its discharge. And the lack of education of the parents could potentially endanger the he alth and even the life of the baby.

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